Washington Monthly article says Americans want connection over division

A new Washington Monthly article by Dr. Gail C. Christopher says the country is divided in politics but united in a desire for belonging, fairness and lower daily stress. The piece draws on NCHE’s 4th Annual Heart of America Survey, which finds broad support for leaders, policies and narratives that heal rather than deepen conflict.

Why it matters: - The article argues that America’s biggest divide is not between people who want connection and people who want conflict, but between daily reality and the country’s founding ideals. - NCHE says the survey shows a strong appetite for belonging, fairness and less anxiety, even as trust in the country’s promises falls. - The findings matter because they point to a public mood that could reward leaders who focus on repair, not escalation.

What happened: - Washington Monthly published “The Heart of America Still Beats for Connection” by Dr. Gail C. Christopher, executive director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity. - The article was released as the United States marks its 250th anniversary. - Christopher built the piece around NCHE’s 4th Annual Heart of America Survey, a public opinion poll of 1,322 adults ages 18 and older conducted online from May 28 to June 3 by pollster Shannon-Janean Currie, CEO of Empirica Advisors. - The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.70 percentage points. - The full article is available here. - Full poll results are available here. - NCHE says survey archives are stored at the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research.

The details: - Sixty-two percent of Americans say they are proud to be American, down from 72% a year earlier. - Only 36% say the country is living up to its ideals of freedom, fairness and equal opportunity. - Fifty-two percent say the American Dream is out of reach. - Eighty-one percent feel pressure from grocery costs. - Seventy-five percent say wages are not keeping pace with the cost of living. - Seventy-two percent point to health care costs. - Seventy-one percent point to housing costs. - Elder care now ranks above childcare as a family strain. - Fifty-three percent cite elder care as pressure on families, compared with 44% who cite childcare. - Eighty-nine percent say the country needs leaders who can see past labels and political tricks. - Eighty-three percent would support a leader who aims to unite everyone, even across disagreements. - Eighty-four percent say faith, kindness and empathy can help America overcome differences. - Seventy-one percent say they are hopeful the country can find lasting common ground. - Eighty-five percent say Americans are hungry to belong, connect and trust one another again. - Christopher frames the moment as “ambivalent patriotism,” meaning loyalty to country paired with doubt that the country is honoring its promises. - She describes the condition as “attachment without satisfaction, loyalty without confidence.”

Between the lines: - The article pushes back on the idea that division is the main story of American life. - Christopher argues that polarization has dominated public debate since the 1990s, but that narrative misses a quieter desire for connection. - She links constant culture-war messaging to chronic anxiety and fear, and says those pressures are tied to chronic illness. - The piece also says “culture wars” can mask a deeper system that ranked human worth by race from the 15th through the 20th century. - Christopher argues that resistance to that system has long come from Indigenous peoples, enslaved and free African Americans, Chinese and Mexican immigrants, and women. - She points to Minneapolis residents who stood outside in sub-zero temperatures to protect immigrant neighbors during ICE-related violence as an example of solidarity. - The article ties support for racial healing to practical changes, not just values. - Eighty-two percent say workplace diversity matters to racial healing, including 74% of Republicans, 79% of Independents and 92% of Democrats. - Eighty percent say reducing racial segregation in housing matters. - Ninety-two percent support teaching the full history of America, including slavery and racism. - Support for reparations has risen to 56%, up from 46% in 2023. - Christopher cites Martha Raddatz’s book, The Hero Next Door, as an example of stories that can broaden empathy across political lines.

What's next: - Christopher says the country needs to tell a truer story that centers shared humanity. - She calls for honest education that includes protest, injustice and progress. - She wants transformational leadership that addresses housing, health care and wages while leading with “love rather than cruelty.” - She argues healing has to be a cross-sector effort involving education, public health, media and technology. - Christopher says the moment calls for replacing culture war with “cultural peace.” - She casts America’s 250th anniversary as a chance to start that work now.

The bottom line: - Christopher’s central argument is that most Americans are not asking for more conflict. - They are asking for fairness, civility, solidarity and a country that finally matches its ideals.